Suns at Jazz
Gordon Hayward is putting together an All-Star caliber season and he looks to record his ninth consecutive 20-point outing when the Utah Jazz host the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. Hayward is averaging 26.6 points during the stretch and the Jazz also are soaring with six victories in the past seven games.
Hayward strung together three straight 30-point outings before scoring 23 points in Monday's 107-101 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. The Jazz won despite point guard George Hill (toe) missing his third straight game and coach Quin Snyder absent with an illness as assistant coach Igor Kokoskov ran the team. Phoenix is just 3-9 on the road after being clobbered 138-109 by the Golden State Warriors on Saturday. Stopping opponents from scoring has been a major issue as the Suns rank 29th (out of 30th) in both scoring defense (113.2) and 3-point percentage defense (39.2) after watching Golden State shoot 14-of-21 from behind the arc.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona (Phoenix), ROOT (Utah)
ABOUT THE SUNS (6-14): Shooting guard Eric Bledsoe enjoyed a superb outing with 27 points, five steals and a career-best five 3-pointers in the loss to the Warriors. Bledsoe joined Dan Majerle (twice), Leandro Barbosa, Raja Bell and Jared Dudley as the only Phoenix players to record five 3-point baskets and five thefts in the same game. Bledsoe averages a team-best 19.3 points and has tallied 23 or more points in five of the past seven games.
ABOUT THE JAZZ (13-9): While Hayward is thriving as a scorer, center Rudy Gobert continues to excel as a rebounder and as one of the NBA's best shot blockers. Gobert matched season highs of 17 rebounds and five blocks in the win over the Lakers and also contributed offensively with 14 points. "He played tremendous for us," Hayward said afterward. "Defensively, blocking shots, cleaning up the glass, on the offensive end he was able to catch the ball and finish. He kept some plays alive for us."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Jazz won all four meetings last season to sweep the Suns for the first time since going 4-0 against them in 1999-2000.
2. After making 10 3-pointers just once over their first 17 games, Phoenix has knocked down 10 or more in each of the past three contests.
3. Utah PF Derrick Favors (knee) will miss his 11th straight game and there isn't a timetable for his return.